Queen Mary 2 enjoys River Mersey Liverpool stay
Cunard's iconic flagship Queen Mary 2 (QM2) made a return visit to Liverpool to mark the finale of the city’s On the Waterfront festival.
The QM2 pulled into port after sailing up the Mersey estuary on a gloriously clear and sunny late summer day.
Thousands of sightseers gathered on Princes Parade, alongside Liverpool Cruise Terminal, to take pictures and get the best views of the full length of the ship.
The QM2 is one of the largest ocean liners in the world at 151,400 gross tons. The majestic visitor was only in the city for a few hours yesterday before continuing on a 22-day voyage which started in New York and continued to Southampton and around the British Isles, before returning to New York.
A fleet of coaches waited to take the holidaymakers on a variety of tours around Liverpool, such as Beatles-themed trips.
Others included visits to the two cathedrals or over the water to Port Sunlight.
The liner is carrying nearly 2,500 passengers, including many Americans, but also Canadians, Japanese and English.
Among them were a group of four female friends, all from Michigan.
One of them, Marlene Falzon, said: “It’s my first time here and I wanted to get a feeling for Liverpool and see some of the sights.
“It looks great and it was very impressive sailing in. It’s a much bigger city than I thought it would be.”
Luz Rohan, from New York, who celebrated her 80th birthday on board the QM2, said: “It’s been phenomenal. I’ve never been to Liverpool before and I’m looking forward to it very much. Each place has its own personality.”
Some of those on the cruise were from much closer to home, such as Jack Thomas and his wife Peggy, from Solihull in the West Midlands, who joined the tour in Southampton for its British leg.
Jack, who is originally from Mossley Hill, said it was his first visit to the city in more than 50 years.
He added: “I used to the work in the Liver building in the shipping industry before I was transferred to the Midlands.
“Coming home after 50 years was the main reason for doing the trip.”
One of the tour guides, Edwina Swaden, said: “It’s fantastic to have so many tourists coming here, and to see what it generates for the city. The feedback is great and I’ve even had people hug me when they’ve got off the tour.”
The visit by the QM2 culminated in a spectacular firework display last night.
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